The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-01-13


when he voted to provide for the insane
of the State that he was making provision
for himself. He builded more wisely than
he knew.
Coming down to us thus through the
endeavors of this benevolent Northern la
dy and the great James c. Dobbin, en-
dorsed and supported by every General
Assembly up to this time, the IN y Asy-
lum, near Raleigh, has claims, tnan which
none could be stronger, upon the people
of Nort;l Carolina. We say the people
not ipon aEy t4Fts,- 1'l" pps,ncc~ ea.,-e Of
the Insane is matter above aolisics and
party. 1t appeals to our humanity and to
our highest civilization
Since the opening of the Asylum at Ral-
eigh in 1856 the admissions have number
ed /, ,S1S. OF these i O05 were males, and
o13 females. OF this number 1876 have
been discharged ;ts cured, 25S improved
1873 unmproved, and 293 have died There
are now in the Asylum 24S inmatea-125
are males and 1873 are females During
the last two years II of the insane have
been discharged cured; 36 discharged iiu-
proved; % discharged unimproved; and
% have died During the year 1856 the
percentage OF cures upon admission has
been II per cent The expenses Of the
Asylum last year We're SIS, ,S74. Ia per
capita for furnishing everything of $lSS. 60
per year, or 51t cents per day. Tie ap-
preparation for last year was SOL 900.
Statistics are dry reading to some but
the legislators and others interested viii
see from the above figures, furnished us by
DR.. Grissom, the good work the Asylum
has been able to accomplish since it was
opened. Those who desire the details more
accurately can secure a copy of the report
The question of enlarging the asylum is
one that ought to receive the considera-
ton and the investigation of every mem
Der of the General Assembly Ia his
report DIR. Grissom asks the enlargement
We quote a portion Of his report on this
line:
y
used to operate the Asylums of North Car
olina to their full capacity, it is an appall-
ing fact that hundreds of victims of this
worst of calamities languish in suffering
to day throughout the State. The story
of their miseries is q twice told tale, but 1t
can never lose its dread significance, to the
victim, to the circle of his relatives and
friends, to the community that laments
an eXtinguished light, or lives IN daily
otread OF n1aniacs outbreak, and to those
to whom the State sumbits the care of its
broken and helpless wrecks.
According to the census of 1880 there
were .G91 white insane in the State and
43. colored.
By the census of 1870, the total number
was 719, thus exhibiting to Us an apparent
increase of 163 per cent. in the decade.
But as the census Of 1870 was undoubted-
ly defective, We may assume the real in
crease rs possibly much less, perhaps not
more than half such Il per centagc. Ap-
plying even that estimate TO the present
period, as a basis of increase over the ,,
ops of 1880, and make a proportionate
part of the years that have elapsed, and
We have at least 5000 insane now within
our limits
According to the late census the whole
number of insane in the United States was
81, 997, or l to every 30 Of the popuia-
ton; in North Carolina the number Of ia
sane was 2,02S, or | III every $50 Of the
population. The question, nevertheless,
recurs: After subtracting The 100. being
about the number provided for at present
at Morganton and Raleigh, and the POO
under treatment at Goldsboro: and de
ducting those discharged uaimproyed III
ter hospital treatment, aid also such Sc
nile or other imbeciIes as would moi pre-
sent a hope of cure under hospital care.
there still remains such an accommodating
thrOng of the insane, newly stricken with
their malady, but daily passing by steady
stages, downward to the level of hopeless
alienation, that humanity sickens at the
conception, both at what they endure now
and what life has III store for them, and
for all who hold them dear.
Is anything to be saved on the score Of
economy by declining to provide for the
insanes 1t is the lowest of motives to APP
peal to, in an enlightened breast, but
surely even such reason has no founda-
ton in fact. The building of accommodate
tions does not call the lunatic into exist
ence. He is already here-he must be fed,
often upon most expensive, yet improper
diet he must be clothed, even if the daily
or weekly destruction of his garments,
renders the task never ending drain and
hopeless effort after decency and com
FORT he must have some attendance, even
if it result in the utter disorganization of
the family, and the conversion by degrees
of its happy wage workers, as producers,
into poverty stricken consumers, often a
burden upon neighbors and friends, and
not unoften reduced to the desperate level
of the victim himself
Who pays for all this Every dollar of
taxable wealth lost Is 50 much paid Tor
by the State-not directly as to form, but
if indirectly, yet, very truly SO, as TO the
fact. This terrible lmpost Of misfortune
is not collected from every one, 1t is true,
but it falls with crushing effect upon those
families upon whom 1t descends. Even III
a pecuniary sense, we recognize the tear
full burden of this atfiiction. Who, then.
can say, that this black tax Of insanity
NAV not fall upon him or his. Shall the
strong say to the weak, look out for your
selves; if You fall, you will be trampled
upon and cast out by the wayside. 1t 80,
then humanity has completed a cycle, and
returned to savage life. Besides, in THIS
matter, who is the strong What yigor Of
constitution can combat certain forms Of
disease. or avail the helpless victim Of
pestilence or mental shipWreckl The prop
osition, in effect, is 10 reduce this great
and uncertain liability to fixed proper
tons, and distribute its cost through all
the members of the body polite 80 that,
like well systematizod plan Of lie iE-lr-
ance, the almost inappreciabe expense IN
Cured by each may meet the demands oI
the unfortunate at the time and under
circumstances to convert an otherwise
hopeless expenditure into the means Of
cure and restoration to society amt to Use
fulness. And that is the crowning gl0l.
that, if the duty IS promptly performed
with the blessing of Providence, the State